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Monday, February 22, 2010

Thank you so much for helping to fill the need at this orphanage! They were able to purchase nets for each bed, a big bag or rice, beans and 20 gallons of cooking oil. Also $50 worth of fruit and vegetables- which was a TON!This is just in from Salem:

I let them know we have bed nets, rice and beans for the children. We opened the back of the truck and everyone (including the director!) started SCREAMING, jumping up and down, hugging, whooping, dancing. It was such pure, genuine joy and gratefulness. K. and I were both in tears at their excitement. It was like Christmas morning times 10! You have never seen children so grateful, so thrilled just to get a mosquito net for the bed. We watched as children with enormous smiles on their faces were handed a net and raced to their dorm to start putting it up. We tried to help get the nets up but we weren’t very good at it (as I was told!) so we let them do that. They know how it is supposed to be done. :) Then K presented the second part of the surprise. She told the director that we were going to take him to the market and buy 100,000 shillings worth of fresh fruits and vegetables for the children. He played it really cool at the market as we filled up the back of the SUV with bags of potatoes, greens, onions, peppers, carrots, cucumbers, watermelon, pineapple, passion fruits, etc. I mean FILLED the back of the SUV. It was so fun. We got back to the orphanage and as soon as the Director got out he grandly opened the back of the SUV to present all the food to the children and everyone started screaming, jumping up and down, dancing, etc again. It was like Christmas morning again! He showed his true excitement when he was with the children – he was dancing and screaming too. :) The kids helped carry all the food into the house and put it in the kitchen. They kept wanting to pose with their various fruits and vegetables. Everyone stood in the kitchen just laughing, hugging and staring at the food for a bit. It was surreal.Moments like this make us feel so humbled. Each time I experience something like that I realize again just how spoiled I am. How spoiled we all are. How much we take for granted.We took pictures of the children and got all of their names, ages and information. We are hoping to find sponsors for these kids. They aren’t able to go to school and they really want to. We’re still working out the details but it looks like school will cost less than $200 per child for the entire year.As we were hugging the children goodbye I couldn’t help but get emotional. I will never forget these kids. They have touched my heart is such a special way. Thank you SO SO MUCH for all you have donated and given to help them just a little bit. This food is a short term help for them, but their joy was worth every penny we spent. If we get more money in for them we’ll continue to get things for them as long as we are here. There are SO many needs at their home.